


A talk by the fireplace

by Aranel125



Category: Cinderella Phenomenon (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28430880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aranel125/pseuds/Aranel125
Summary: Is it a happy end when a half of your heart is shattered?Things seem so good at first glance, but there is someone whom Fritz sometimes just desperately needs to talk to.An oneshot meant to be a bridge from the first game to Evermore, written shortly before the Evermore release. (Posted only now because the Secret Santa was taking much of my time and effort before.)Partially inspired by a song "Осенние дожди" (Autumn Rains) by Yuri Vizbor.
Relationships: Fritzgerald Aiden Leverton & Varg
Kudos: 2





	A talk by the fireplace

**Author's Note:**

> A little note: when I wrote this I did not know that Lucette and Fritz are not officially engaged yet before the Evermore events. Maybe I should have replaced in this oneshot "engaged" with "dating". But to a person as respectful to the societal rules as Fritz is, being in an established couple would associate with being engaged, so i left it as it was.

Looking from a side, what was there more to desire?  
Fritz reminded himself one more time he is supposed to be happy.  
The Princess and he are engaged. Engaged. Could he possibly think of that half a year ago?  
Little idea did he have of what did he do to deserve this, and how actually it happened – the recent heavy months he was thinking of everything but that. But if she did consider him worthy enough for a lifetime at her side, and was happy, - sure he ought to feel his life accomplished?  
It was no use lying to himself.  
Fritz knew well that it was not his accomplishment that made it possible.  
Whenever someone praised him, whenever he kissed her hand, whenever she or a friend from the guard smiled in him – he felt something clenching in solitude and pain.  
Something that knew none smiles or praises are meant for it.  
He often saw the same dream again.  
That of bright golden eyes staring at him, filled with suffering, and a silent question in them:  
“Why? What for?”  
Fritz does not know how to answer this question.  
Neither does Varg.  
\---  
Varg did sincerely try to keep his word and stay silent.  
As in, he did not speak.  
But he could not help growling in pain in his thoughts, and Fritz’s heart was turning over.  
Varg attempted to deceive himself. He did not deserve any good things by definition, from the start, it was only natural and unavoidable that everything went like this…  
He cannot be satisfied with this explanation.  
Neither can Fritz.  
\---  
That night, there was rain and wind out there.  
Indoors, the fireplace was spreading heat.  
Fritz was curling in his chair in front of the fire.  
He was looking at the flames that danced, listening to the torrents that fell, lost in thought.  
If he was together with the Princess now, he would surely bring her a blanket and a cup of tea, and they would be sitting there talking quietly of something.  
But at the moment, he was alone in the house, and had a companion much more awkward than Her Highness – that is, himself.  
Carried away by the even sound, by the flickering flames, he fell into a strange doze, and was not surprised at all when he met the eyes of a dark-faced youth sitting at the other side of the fireplace.  
The man was silent, only furrowing deeply his black eyebrows.  
For a time that could be anything from several minutes to an hour, neither did speak.  
Fritz was looking at Varg. Varg was looking at Fritz.  
Fritz was the first to speak.  
“Can you ever forgive me?”  
The black knight remained motionless, only a vein flinched on his temple.  
“The politeness would demand to say I do. But I do not follow politeness. So I am answering honestly: I do not know.”  
For another silent minute he was watching the silver knight.  
“I wish you no harm anymore, in case you mean that. But I am generally bad at letting things go.”  
Silence fell again.  
Fritz was thinking of what could be said – but what really could he say?  
“I did not want to”? But he did. He was choking him with the persistence of a fanatic, he denied a hungry lonely creature light, air, talking to a person it loved with all its heart.  
He did, because he was afraid.  
Looking for excuses is what a schoolchild or a coward does.  
Fritz was neither a schoolchild nor a coward.  
He stared silently into the fire.  
“My, you have matured.”  
The white knight glanced back to his companion.  
The corners of Varg’s lips were twitching, but his eyes remained sad.  
“Tell me, why can’t you just have your nice little happy end?”  
“I do not need this kind of happiness. – The words came out with an effort. – It is built on your blood.”  
A frown formed over the black eyebrows:  
“I should have known you are far too noble for your own good.”  
Fritz remained silent.  
Next time, it is Varg who breaks the silence:  
“You are not the only one to blame, you know.”  
“Whose fault it is, then?”  
“Mine, for being a stubborn ass. Yours, for being a stubborn ass. The Princess’, for being a stubborn ass too. We are all that good.”  
Varg’s lips are a wicked parody of a smile.  
Fritz looks away.  
\---  
The black knight speaks again.  
“Remind me, where does that presumption come from? That I am the bad guy and cannot have nice things?”  
Fritz stares into the fire without seeing it, unable to answer.  
Because if he was to act like Varg, he would lose his position in the palace and would never see the Princess again?  
“It… just happened”, - he says with an effort.  
Varg’s eyes gleam in a dangerous way.  
“Happened? That is what these high principles of yours are all about? It just happened?”  
Fritz takes a breath in and a breath out.  
“I am a coward,” – he says. - “And I do deserve her no more than you do.”  
Varg’s expression is strange… is that respect?  
“Do you know what she likes about you?” – he finally speaks slowly.  
“Not a slightest idea.”  
“I used to marvel at that, too.” – The black knight stares at the window, where the rain is streaming against glass. – “I would get it with the crowd – they do like boys who do not contradict them. But she? I was expecting more. Normally she is the one for the truth, but did her best not to accept the truth in this case, did not she?”  
His lips crooked even more.  
“I would tear any danger to pieces ten times faster than you, what was even the matter?... Or so I thought.”  
Varg turns his gaze away from the storm, meeting Fritz’s eyes again.  
“Do you want to know what she likes about you?”  
Fritz nods slowly, quietly listening.  
“Stability. She wants it peaceful and comfortable. not every trouble can be removed forcefully – some just need some quiet words to fix.” – Varg’s lips’ corners move again, and this time, he is smiling. – “Not that I did not try that. I tried. But whether the problem is with me or with her – it did not work.”  
Fritz moves his eyes away for a moment. On his lips he feels the same sad smile.  
“I must have been a more stubborn ass than you. You at least overstepped your pride. You tried to become better.”  
One black eyebrow rises.  
“What is that you want to be better at?”  
Fritz leans back in his chair and calmly looks into the golden eyes opposite him.  
“You should know.”  
The black knight’s eyes narrow slightly.  
“Does it have anything to do with gaining a backbone?”  
The white knight’s head slowly nods.  
“Exactly. And I would need your help with that.”  
A gleam of interest lights Varg’s dark face for a moment:  
“Tonight’s amount of confessions are pretty much enough for the first lesson.”  
Fritz smiles.  
“It is not like we have anything more to hide, do we?”  
\---  
Fritz wakes up next morning long after the sun has risen.  
Luckily today he has a day off.  
He recalls that recently the Princess described the atmosphere at his house as still cold and impersonal and insisted on hiring a decorator to rearrange the living room while he is going to be at work. Fritz agreed then, and only now he remembered it was planned on yesterday. He came home too late and too tired to actually notice.  
The knight looks around the room, his eye catching this or that small change in position of things. That is nothing really grand, but in a way endearing.  
Her Highness does care a lot…  
One detail attracts his attention most of all.  
At a side of the fireplace – it must be, to reflect the fire and visually expand the room, - hangs a new mirror.


End file.
